Seconds Of Pleasure

Entertainment Weekly - "[T]his underappreciated album ranks with Lowe and Edmunds' other great work of the time." - Grade: A- Rolling Stone - 4 stars out of 5 - "Lowe's trenchant wit and Edmunds' amped-up formalism are perfectly in sync throughout the LP." Q - 3 Stars - Good Goldmine - Sound Quality 4.5 Stars - Excellent Q (1/1/91) - 3 Stars - Good Goldmine - Sound Quality 4.5 Stars - Excellent

Kindred spirits Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe had worked together extensively in different capacities in the 1970s, but their on-again/off-again band Rockpile only recorded one album, 1980's superlative SECONDS OF PLEASURE. It stands as one of the finest examples of the pub-rock/power-pop crossroads that defined the band's aesthetic. Edmunds and Lowe's American influences are worn on the sleeve (literally), as they spark new life into tunes by Chuck Berry ("Oh What a Thrill") and soul man Joe Tex ("If Sugar Was as Sweet as You").
Incredibly, the duo's own compositions stand up just as well. "When I Write the Book" would have been a standout on any classic Sam & Dave LP, and "Heart" is a finer faux-Motown piece than one could ever expect from a bunch of Brits. This 2004 reissue is spiced up with a wealth of bonus tracks, including a quartet of sterling Everly Brothers covers, where Edmunds and Lowe show off their harmony skills, and live versions of a couple of Graham Parker's more roots-conscious tunes ("Back to Schooldays", "Crawling from the Wreckage"). Even with decades of hindsight, a convincing case can be made for SECONDS OF PLEASURE as one of the finest British rock & roll albums of its era.|